Page 101 of Bound Hearts

A faint smirk creeps on my mouth, as this has been our usual circle.

It’s hard.

I’ve been watching her struggle for weeks. She’s happy, and I check in with her. It really does seem to be a lack of sleep and the internal wrestle of her decision to go back to work.

As much as I can say that I’m a hands-on dad, I also haven’t been the one who faced the brunt of evening shifts with our son. Sutton insisted because I’m the one who still has to be at the office, often with twelve-hour days, plus a few business trips. We’re going to have to find a new rhythm for sure.

My son settles in my arms, and his crying subsides, mostly because he has exhausted himself.

“I guess I will try and sleep then.” Her voice is soft, but the twang of hope is strong.

Rubbing circles on Levi’s back, I sigh as he rests his cheek against my shoulder.

“Sleep, Sutton. Now I’m demanding it, so don’t disobey,” I whisper.

It causes her to crack a smile.

When she disappears, I sway with my son, who crackles an occasional attempt to cry. The daybed has been a lifesaver. I lay us carefully on top, his cheek on my chest. The throw pillow feels heavenly.

I keep reminding myself to savor these moments as he’s growing fast. But fuck, sleep is valuable.

Smiling, I admire my wife gliding her lipstick along her decadent lips as she checks in a tiny compact mirror. We’re in the back of my car, Levi packed securely in his car seat, buckled in between us.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen my wife in her work mode, ready to conquer the world and sexy as hell, complete with stilettos.

“Excited?” I ask.

Sutton closes the cap of her lipstick and puckers her lips before satisfaction appears. “I guess I am. Celeste seemed thrilled about my return and said she would do what was needed to ensure I had an easy return. I’m not sure if Olivia coached her on that call or not, but it came across genuine enough.”

“Olivia takes her HR responsibilities seriously.”

“It’s a fresh start at the office. This time around, I will try not to sleep with the CFO again,” she quips.

I glare at her for that comment. “Lucky then that he has a wife at home who obeys on command.”

She chuckles, shifting her attention to the baby. Quiet fills the car, needed for the switch from home to work.

Sighing, I remember. “Patrick’s stopping by the office later. It’s board meeting week at Roth, and I’ve already said I want to give my absentee vote. I think I want to circle back to the topic of handing over my shares, making a clean break.”

“Don’t do that.” She gives me a knowing glare. The topic keeps coming up, and she keeps telling me to abandon the thought like a sinking ship.

Shrugging, I explain simply, “I won’t have to deal with that anymore.”

She shakes her head, amused. “And you would regret it.” Her soft smile reassures me; she’s smarter than I am right now, and she knows it. “You know you would. You have nothing to prove to me. Your nobleness is misguided. It’s your connection to your mom. Besides, one day this little guy might want to be involved. I’m over everything, and you are too, so there’s no need to fill some guilt void because you’re being a silly man for a hot second.”

I smile wryly. “Fucking too wise.”

Sutton brings her hand to my cheek and swirls her thumb. “Agreed.” Even she has a cocky streak.

The car slows on our arrival at the office, and she stalls for a second before her palm slips away and her eyes drop to our son.

“Ready?” she asks him, and when the car stops, she unbuckles his seat.

I slide out as my driver opens the door, then reach in to grab the baby seat. Sutton follows, eager and ready for her return to the office.

We enter the building's lobby and stop by the elevator. It's still early, so the lobby is quiet.

“Wish your mom a great first day back,” I tell Levi, who only looks at us, cheeks puffed, a small bubble at the corner of his mouth.